Yemen myth has it that in ancient times a man named Omar was once driven from the city of Mocha due to his rather amorous inclinations towards the Sheik’s daughter.

From the cave to which he was banished he would cry out in complaint. His noise drew the attention of the most exotic and marvellous bird, which began to sing a mesmerising and beautiful melody. Enchanted, he reached for the bird, but instead his hands drove into a bunch of berries hanging from the tree.

Intrigued, he used the berries for his supper that evening, and in so doing became the first person to discover the coffee bean.

When it comes to laying claim as the original home of coffee, plenty of countries want in on the action, and Yemen is no different.

Dean Atkins and Andy Gelman might not be any clearer than the rest of us about coffee and its true origins, but they know a good story when they hear it.

It’s why Omar and the Marvellous Coffee Bird is not just a myth, but the unique name of their Gardenvale café.

You’d be hard-pressed to find two guys more committed to Everything Coffee. They roast it, they research it, they drink it, they live and breathe it. December last year they headed off to a forum run by US based research facility Coffee Science, so they could learn more about the chemistry behind the bean.

Andy in particular has been roasting coffee for over a decade, and he’ll be the first to say he’s still learning more every day. He and Dean have recently taken a staff member under their roasting wing – a coveted position to which plenty of other team members are hoping to also aspire.

On any given day Omar and the Marvellous Coffee Bird will feature four single roasts, two blends and two single filters. Absolute premium coffee is what this place is all about, and it’s what draws cyclists in from their (mostly) Nepean Highway run.

Dean reckons a coffee order is a pretty good reflection of the type of cyclist someone is – short or long blacks and it’s a serious rider who isn’t mucking around and wants to get out there and smash it. Milk based and it’s a rider who’s willing to stop and smell the coffee, so to speak, and take things a little more cruisy.

Whatever the formula, Omar and the Marvellous Coffee Bird is a destination for riders who consider themselves serious caffeine aficionados.